Rubio Warns Panama of Consequences About Chinese “Influence and Control” Over Canal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addresses employees and families during a meet-and-greet at the United States Embassy in Panama City, on February 2, 2025. Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday threatened action against Panama without immediate changes to reduce Chinese influence on the canal, but the country’s leader insisted he was not afraid of a U.S. invasion and offered talks.

Rubio, paying his first visit overseas as the top U.S. diplomat, told Panama that President Donald Trump had determined that the country had violated the terms of the treaty that handed back the crucial waterway in 1999.

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by Eric Olander

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